Subterranean refrigerator.



No. 67!,564. Patented Apr. 9, I90l.

W. H. BEYNGLDS & W.'H.- REYNOLDS, 1n. 4

SUBTEBBANEAN REFRIGERATOR. ("a Model 7 (Application filed Oct. 9, 1899.)

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' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, \VILLIAM H. REYNOLDS AND WILLIAM H. REYNOLDS, JR., OF AGENCY,-

IOWA.

SUBTERRANEAN REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 671,564, dated April 9,1901.

Application. filed October 9, 1899. Serial No. 733,120. (No model.)

.and readilyaccessible manner without the use of ice or similar mediums.

Our invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof elements, hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claims, andillustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a frontelevation of the complete device mounted as required for practical use.Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the device mounted as required forpractical use. Fig. 3 is aperspective of the cage or elevator cupboard.

In the construction of the device, as shown, the numeral designates awell or other excavation normally covered bya platform 11, in which isformed an aperture of sufficient size and such shape as to accommodatethe elevator cage or cupboard in entering or leaving the excavation. Acupboard or casing formed of a left side 12, back 13, right side 14, andfront 15, is fixed to and rises from the platform 11, surrounding theaperturein the platform. This casing or cupboard is made about six feetin height and is constructed of posts and sheathing in any practicableman ner, and the front thereof is made in two sections, the lowersection being about two feet in height and fixed and the upper sectionfilling the remainder of the front and formed as a door 15, hinged tothe right side 14. The door may be provided with any desired form oflatch or look attaching to the left side 12 of the casing. A stationaryshelf 16 is fixed in and transversely of the upper portion of the casingor cupboard, at a little distance below the top thereof, and it is thefunction of this shelf to receive and retain temporarily any vessels offood preparatory to the elevation of the cage and deposit thereoftherein, and at thesame time said shelf serves to partition the cagefrom the roof and prevent the top of the cage from bumping the roof inits ascent. A cap-plate or roof 17 is provided for the casing and isremovable and replaceable relative thereto, being made to extend beyondthe sides, front, and back of the casing and loosely mounted on theupper end thereof. The cap-plate or roof is made removable andreplaceable and loosely m ounted on the top of the casing in order thatit may expand and shrink under changes of temperature and humiditywithout affecting the walls of the casing and may be removed readily forcleansing and for the thorough ventilation of the casing'above the shelf16. When the roof is removed, the cage should be raised and held in thecasing and" the weights also raised to slacken the cables. Guide-bars 1819 are mounted vertically within and fixed to the centers of the sides12 14 of the easing and depend therefrom into the well or otherexcavation 10 to the desired depth. The

- lower end portions of the guide-bars 18 19 are connected by a bottombar 20, and it is the function of this bottom bar to steady theguide-bars and serve as a stop to limit and determine the downwardmovement of the cage. The upper portions of the guide-bars 18 19 areprovided with removable and replaceable sections l8 19, fastened theretoby screws and of such thickness as that when the sections are removedthe cage may be removed forwardly from the casing. The elevator-cage isformed with top and bottom pieces 21 22, preferably made of wood andconnected by corner-pieces 23 24 25 26, back strips 27, and guide-strips28 29 3O 31. The guide-strips 28 29 3O 31 are vertical and are arrangedin pairs on opposite edges of the top and bottom pieces and spaced apartin the pairs a distance approximating to the width of one or the otherof the guide-bars 18 19, located therebetween.

Horizontal notches are formed in the strips and corner-pieces ofthecage, and sheet-metal shelves 32 33 34 35 36 are mounted horizontallyin said notches and spaced apart to receive and retain food or vesselsof food. The shelf 36 is spaced apart from the bottom 22 of the cage,and a sheet-metal pan or receptacle 37 is slidingly mounted in thespace. It is the function of the pan or receptacle 37 to receive,retain, and preserve ice for occasional use at table or dairy, and byholding said ice in the lowermost part of the cage in the well orexcavation preserve the same against rapid melting and waste when thecage is in its lowermost position in the well, it being understood,however, that the pan may be employed as a containing vessel generally.The cage is so located in the casing that the guidestrips thereonembrace and slidingly engage the guide-bars 18 19 and direct thevertical movement of the cage. Sheaves 38 39 40 41 are mounted in slotsin the cap-plate or roof 17 of the casing, and ropes 42 43 44 45 are runover said sheaves. One end portion of each of the ropes is fastened tothe corners of the top piece 21 of the cage and run through holes in thestationary shelf 16 and the remaining ends of the ropes depend from thesheaves within the spaces between the guide-strips and the corner-piecesof the cage and are supplied with Weights. The Weights for the ropes ofthe elevator are formed in sections 46, of cast metal, each of thesections having a hook 47 on one end and an eye 48 on the other end,whereby the sections may be hooked together in series to the extentnecessary to provide the desired degree of weight to balance'theelevator. Thus also when the elevator-cage is to be lightly loaded oneor more of the sections of weights may be removed from the ropes, sothat the cage and its load may be balanced at all times. Clips 49 arearranged in rows on the upper face of the cap-plate or roof of thecasing, and sheet-metal caps 50 51 are slidingly mounted in said clipsand arched over the sheaves and their slots to protect the roof againstleakage. The caps 50 51 may be removed and replaced readily by hand toprovide access to the sheaves and ropes.

By constructing the cage of strips and shelves spaced apart and from thecasing we provide for a free circulation of air through and about thecage and among the food vessels, the slots in the roof also providingfor ventilation.

By constructing the cage of notched strips and sheet-metal shelvesloosely mounted in the notches thereof we are enabled to remove saidshelves readily and conveniently for cleansing and repairs when the sameis necessary.

We claim as our invention 1. The combination of the casing arranged forlocation over a well, the guide-bars theretransversely of the casingbetween the upper end of the cage and the loosely-mounted roof,guide-strips on the cage embracing the guidebars on the casing and adoor in the casing.

2. The combination of the casing arranged for location over a well, theguide-bars thereon arranged to depend within the well and formed withremovable and replaceable sections in their upper portions, the bottombar fixed to and connecting the lower ends of the guide-bars, a roofloosely mounted on the casing, sheaves in the roof, caps over thesheaves, ropes on said sheaves, weights and a cage depending from saidropes and in balanced relation with each other, guide-strips on the cageembracing the guide-bars and a door in the casing.

3. The combination of the platform having an aperture and arranged forlocation over a well, a casing mounted on said platform, the guide-barsin said casing, formed with removable sections and depending through theaperture of the platform, a roof mounted 011 said casing, sheaves insaid roof, cables on said sheaves and depending in the casing, a cage onsaid cables, balancingweights on said cables, guide-bars on the cageembracing the guide-bars of the casing, the cage being of less lengththan the casing and partitioned from the roof thereof, and a door insaid casing, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the casing, the guidebars on eitherside thereofand arranged to extend downward within a well, a cross-bar connectingthe lower ends of the guide-bars, each of the guide-bars being providedwith a removable and replaceable section in its upper portion, a cage ofskeleton form constructed of corner-strips, top and bottom pieces andintermediate shelves and guide-bars projecting laterally from said cageand arranged to embrace the guide-bars of the casing, a stationary shelfin the upper portion of the easing above the cage and means forbalancing said cage and its contents.

WILLIAM H. REYNOLDS. WILLIAM H. REYNOLDS, JR. WVitnesses:

J OHN SPRINGER, T. M. MILooXsoN.

